I hope that now I am divorced, although nothing is finalized, I can return to my previous vision for this dump.

2.25.2009

sill ny times David Orr column

when will these journalists stop trying to bring sensationalism everywhere?

"Because for the first time since the early 19th century, American poetry may be about to run out of greatness."

No, but -- as rarely happens -- Ashbury has survived his death. A classic car is 25 years old. A classic poet -- 2 poetic generations have passed since poet became "a player" and more than one *type* of poet has been influenced (not teaching the poet would be an oversight) -- takes about 25 years. Few poets survive being a major poet that long.

Poetry has justified itself historically by asserting that no matter how small its audience or dotty its practitioners, it remains the place one goes for the highest of High Art.

well, not really -- it is that it is older than written language; it is encoded, as it were, in the language

greatness has nothing to do with postmodernism -- quibble with the terms, but greatness is more that "this seems pretty important now, and since the product of an artist using old media is not like an athlete practicing athletics, it is pretty likely to remain of some interest for a while"